Paige's story
Growing up, Paige endured trauma no child should ever face. By the time she was twelve, she had experienced domestic abuse and been sexually assaulted. When she was referred to The Children’s Society, she was terrified and in danger. With time, patience and understanding, she opened up and got the support she needed. Today, Paige is making friends, enjoys cooking and is doing well at school.
Witnessing abuse
Witnessing abuse
When Paige was only 10 years old, her mum began to experience violent physical and mental abuse from her partner. She was unable to leave the relationship, and the abuse continued for three years.
For those years, Paige would go to bed with the fear that her mum might not be there when she woke up in the morning. Life felt terrifying and out of control.
I got depressed.
Depressed, quotes
Reaching crisis point, Paige, her siblings and mother were moved to a refuge centre two hours away from home where he couldn’t reach them.
It was tiny there. I didn't get to see my family for ages, it was lonely.
Experiencing abuse
Experiencing abuse
The sudden move to another city caused a lot of disruption for Paige and being so far away from home and her family was hard for her. She was lonely and looking forward to being able to visit home.
But when she eventually did, she was sexually assaulted by a family member as she was trying to sleep.
Betrayal
The betrayal of someone so close to her destroyed her trust. Her self-esteem was crushed. Her view of the world became one where people hurt you.
Struggling to cope, Paige began self-harming, smoking cannabis and drinking heavily as a way of numbing her emotions.
I felt like no one cared.
Experiencing grooming
Experiencing grooming
As she was not in school due to repeat exclusions, she had become vulnerable to a groomer who wanted to exploit her.
At just 13, a 24-year-old man had groomed and befriended her, picking her up in his car, buying her food, and encouraging her to hang out with his friends. He also gave her drugs.
Grooming
Gradually, Paige was asked to help him and his friends to deal drugs. When she refused, she was threatened with violence. Horrified, she stopped leaving the house.
At the time, there wasn’t nothing that could help me. All I knew is that I wasn't gonna make it past 16.
Receiving support
Receiving support
Shortly afterwards, Paige was recognised as being high-risk of further exploitation and was referred to The Children’s Society, where she met Bex.
Initially, Paige was unsure if Bex would be able to help her. But after getting to know her and seeing that she could trust her, things started to improve.
Support from Bex
Bex wasn't just about the work, she actually cared. You can actually tell she cared.
Working together, Bex helped Paige process a lot of the trauma she’d been carrying by herself. She provided a safe space where Paige could talk and be heard. She showed her that someone understood and wanted to help her.
Together, over the course of a year, they worked across several areas including home life and mental health. Bex helped Paige to understand what a healthy relationship looks like, how to recognise those that might be harmful or inappropriate and how to build better, safer ones.
Moving forward
Moving forward
Today, Paige’s life has transformed.
Now, she is thriving at school, something she never thought would happen.
Now I’ve got the support, it's so much easier.
Transformation
Paige is a lot more confident in herself. She’s more self-aware, she's happier now. Before, she was always feeling stressed and angry. But now she’s calm.
- Bex
Paige has hope for the future now. She is making friends, in her first healthy relationship, finding enjoyment in cooking and maths, and is ambitious about starting a career.
My life is so peaceful now.
By her 16th birthday, Paige was safe, happy, and hopeful – with the help she needed to thrive. Today, she says with confidence, “I’m proud of myself”.
Paige’s story is true, but names and identifying details have been changed to protect identities. Photographs have been posed by actors.
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